The Mercedes E350 remains the definitive midsize luxury automobile. Stylish without being gaudy, technically advanced without being overwhelming, swift without being harsh: the E350 is personal transportation in its most civilized and dignified form.
What's New for 2016
The most significant upgrade that the E350 gets for 2016 is the changed model-year digit on the VIN; it carries over from 2015 essentially unaltered.
Choosing Your Mercedes-Benz E350
Mercedes basically invented the modern European luxury sedan long ago, and the E350 is proof that the company still holds to that very agreeable ideal. It is an exceptionally strong, safe, and well-appointed machine. It is as thoroughly considered and well-engineered as any industrial creation in the world. It will politely tolerate your attempts to hustle on back roads, but it is much more a stable long-distance Autobahn runner at heart.
The E350 designation is applied to two body styles: four-door sedan and traditional station wagon. Each is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 which produces 302 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque and is coupled to a seven-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel-drive is standard on the sedan, which has a base MSRP of $53,100; the excellent 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system is effectively a $2500 option. (4MATIC is included in the wagon's $59,900 base price.) The rear-wheel drive sedan scores EPA fuel economy estimates of 20 mpg city and 29 mpg highway; the 4MATIC cars have a sightly reduced highway figure of 27 mpg.
As with any modern Mercedes-Benz, the standard equipment list is lengthy. Among other expected safety and convenience features, all E350s includes a radar collision prevention and mitigation system, the COMAND infotainment system, a driver-alertness monitor, dual-zone climate control, 14-way power front seats, real wood trim, a glass sunroof, and the OnStar-like mbrace telematics system.
Available options are more supplements to that standard equipment than direct add-ons. The $4180 Premium Package expands COMAND to include navigation and SiriusXM radio, and adds heated seats. Select leather upholstery ($1620, or $2990 for the sumptuous Nappa leather), ventilation and a massaging function for the seats can be included.
The Driver Assistance Package adds $2800 and uses the collision-prevention radar to run the Distronic cruise control and Brake Assist Plus; it also includes blind-spot and pedestrian sensors and a lane-keeping feature.
A no-cost Sport Styling Package featuring a somewhat more aggressive nose design and stiffer suspension tuning is also available. Standalone options such as a panoramic roof, Parktronic automatic parking assistance, and a $1910 rear-seat DVD theater system are also available.
Between the well-equipped nature of the base E350 and the price of the options themselves, a light hand on the order form is recommended. If you begin stacking up the options you may want to consider the E400, which adds extra dynamic capability while including most E350 options as standard. However, even at its substantial cost the Premium Package's enhanced infotainment and comfort features make it a worthwhile investment. Also, the station wagon is a too-often-overlooked (and in many ways superior) alternative to the hordes of SUVs on the road.